Burglar-alarm



T. J. GLENN.

BURGLAR ALARM.

Patented Dec. 20

(Model) IV] 7 'NESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OEEiCE.

THOMAS J. GLENN, or PHILADELPHIA, PEnNsYLvAsiA.

BURGLAR-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLettersPatent H0. 251,109, dated December20, 1881.

Application filed June I, 1881. (Model I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAsJ.GLENN,a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphii'i and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Doorand Burglar Alarms; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull,clear, and exact description ofthe invention, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective of my invention. illustrated as applied to adoor-frame. Fig.2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalverticalsection. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective. Fig. 5 is a transversevertical section. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a window and shutter,showing the adaptation ot'a modification of my invention thereto, andFigs. 7 and 8 are per spective details of said modification.

My invention has relation to mechanical (as distinguished from electric)burglar-alarms, and has forits object to provide. a device which willunfailingly actuate or start an alarm .whenever adoor or window to whichit is attached is opened.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination ofparts hereinafter more fully srt forth, having reference principally tothe formation of a case or box which receives a ball designed andadapted to beattaehed to the en d of a draft-cord, said case having agroove, in which said ball is caused to travel when a door or window-'is opened, and a chamber or offset, into which said ball slips or ispushed, so as to relieve the tension on its draft-cord, and therebycause a distant alarm attached to or connected with the other end ofsaid draft-cord to be actuated or permitted to start.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A designates a case or box, madein two pieces or sections, A and A and having an internal groove orchannel, a, which is enlarged at either end, forming ofl'sets 0rchambers a a respectively.

B is a ball adapted and designed to fit and move in said groove, and issecured to one end of a draft-cord, 0, whose other end is connected to adistant alarm of any suitable character, so that said alarm will beactuated or started, when draft is exerted on said cord. In the drawings1 have illustrated such alarm as consisting of a gong, D, with astriker,rl, to which the cord is attached. Now, if the ball B be moved along thegroove a, draft will be exerted on the cord 0, and if the tension besuddenly relaxed the striker will be quickly moved by itsretracting-spring d and caused to sound an alarm on the gong. To movethe ball and to permit its sudden rele se, l providea carriage ortraveler, E, consistingof a bar, 6, with head (2 and depending links e eand roller a The bar 0 fits and moves in a longitudinalslot, a, in thecase A, the head 0 extending up into the groove (4, while the links 0and roller a hang pendent outside of said case. as shown.

The case A is attached to a door-frame, F,

H, in such position that when closed it rests in contact with or behindthe traveler E, as

shown in Fig. 1. As thedoor opens the bracket H pushes the travelerbefore it, the latter moving the ball B until it reaches the offset awhen it moves upinto such offset, allowing the traveler to pass it, asshown in dotted lines on the left of Fig. 3. The ball B is now. free toreturn, and is drawn back by the retractingspring d acting on cord (J,through channel to, its clearance of traveler E having relaxed thetension on said cord andpermitted the striker to act. ,The device resetsitself automatically after being operated, the closing of the doorpushing back the traveler to, its normal posi-.

tion and causing the latter to. clear itself and get its head back of.the ball by pushing. the latter up into the offset a,as shown in dottedlines on the ri ht of Fig. 3.

To providefor easy movement of the cord, it passes over anti-frictionrollers 45 6 i and to allow the device to be moved out of the way duringthe day-time, or whennot required to be set, the case Ais hinged, asshown at Ir, on a bracket or base-plate, K. A pivoted button, L, is alsoprovided to hold the case in the projected position it occupies whenset, as shown in Fig. 1.

Owing to the peculiar slip movement of the ball, the device willunfailingly actuate or start an alarm whenever the door to which it isattached and on which it is set for operation is opened sufficiently tomove the hall far enough.

tance-say an inch and a half-effecting such movement and release.

To adapt it to Windows and shutters, which latter open outwardly, thedevice is somewhat modified from the construction just described, whichis intended for adaptation to doors opening inwardly. Such modificationis shown in Figs. 6,2, and 8. v In the former figure,M represents awindow-frame, N the upper sash, and O the outside shutter. In a mortise,m, on the under side of the upper cross piece, m, of the frame is fitteda plate, P, having a 1ongitndinal slot, 19, which terminates in a recessor offset, 19 Said plate has also on its upper side two lugs, 19 19which form guides for the draft-cord O, which passes through said slotp, and is there secured to the ball B.

R represents a stirru p-shaped bar, pivoted or sustained on trunnions rrin a bracket, S, fastened on the inside of the shutter O. This bar fitsin a notch cut in the upper part of the sash N, its end flange, r,impinging against the side of the ballB, the latter resting in theopening r As the shutter is opened the bar It moves the ball B along theunder side of the plate P until said ball rises in the offset 19clearing the flange r. The ball now slides back under the influence ofthe draft on the cord 0, and the tension of said cord being thussuddenlye released, the alarm is caused to be sounded.

I have shown the alarm as consisting of a gong; but my invention may beused with a clock-work or other alarm, the draft on the cord G servingto release a detent, and thus set such alarm going. In every case,however, a retracting-spring should be so connected with the draft-cordthat when the ball moves up into the offset provided for its clearanceit will be drawn back by such spring to its normal position.

To protect the draft-cord from being cut by burglars or intruders, whomight open the door far enough to permit the introduction of shears orother cutting device for severing said cord, I propose arranging ametallic pipe, 0 in position above the door and leading up to the caseA. The cord will pass through this pipe until it emerges at the pulley iand is thus protected against cutting.

To facilitate moving the stirrup R without requiring one to get upon thewindow-frame for that purpose, a cord, B, may be attached,

as shown, to the tail-piece of said stirrup. To.

adjust the stirrup the cord R is pulled after drawing down the uppersash. Then on pushing up said sash the stirrup is held in position.

In lieu of the button L, for holding the case in its projected position,a lock operated by a key, or some equivalent means for securing the caseA fixedly in position when set and preventing its being turned on itshinge by burglars or intruders, may be employed, and such I intendusing.

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

1. In a device for actuating or starting an alarm by exerting draft on acord or equivalent connection, the combination, with a plate or case, ofa ball to be moved therein or thereon and an offset or chamber forreceiving and releasing said ball at the limitof its movement,substantially as specified.

2. In combination with case A and ball 13, connected to theactuating-cord of a burglaralarm, the traveler E and bracket H, saidparts being constructed and designed for operation substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination, in a device for actuating or starting analarm, ofthe following parts, namely: a case or plate for guiding the movement ofa ball, and formed with an olfset for the latter, a draft-cord passinginto said case or plate, and attached to such ball at one end andconnected with a retracting-spring at its other, and a traveler orpusher for moving said ball along said case or plate until it is causedto enter the offset therein, whereby draft is exerted on said cord andsuddenly released, allowing the latter to be jerked by itsretractingspring,-substantially as shown and described.

4. In a burglar or door alarm, the combination, with a hinged case, A,of a button or looking device for holding said casein its projectedposition, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

THOS. J. GLENN.

Witnesses:

JAMES W. GLENN, E. D. MCLOUGHLTN.

